Summary Introduction. Serving a prison sentence is an experience that bears the hallmarks of a trauma. Scientific findings on how people handle traumatic experiences show that there are numerous personal and social resources that allow for better adaptation. One of the concepts used to describe the process reflecting relatively good adaptation is psychological resilience.Aim. The aim of the following research was to analyze the way in which psychological resilience differentiates mental states of incarcerated women and to identify the predicator of mental well-being in this group.Material and method. The study included women incarcerated in the External Department of Czersk Penitentiary for juvenile female offenders who serve a prison sentence for the first time and penitentiary recidivists. The following scales were used in the research: the Resilience Measurement Scale – RMS-25 and the HADS-M scale, which allows to conduct a test for symptoms of depression. Results. The results revealed crucial statistical correlations between the results of the resilience scale and results of the HADS-M. It was also found that the predicators of anxiety and depression in the study group are the level of personal coping skills and tolerance of negative emotions (RMS-25). Additionally, a crucial factor in predicting the state of anxiety is the number of years of imprisonment. The conducted regression analysis also showed that the level of personal coping skills and tolerance of negative emotions (RMS-25) as well as openness to new experiences and sense of humor (RMS-25) are essential predicators of the level of aggression.Conclusions. The concept of psychological resilience is significant in analyzing the differences in mental health of incarcerated women and may help to create conditions that are conducive to reducing negative effects of prisoners staying in conditions of institutional constraint.